Sunday, 12 June 2011

Little Hell

'Little Hell' is the new album by City and Colour.

I'm rubbish at reviews, so please excuse this post. But I was so excited about the release of this, I couldn't not write about it. Plus, I'm a lazy blogger and it's a Sunday so I'm not particularly busy with anything else!

Listening to the live versions of songs that were played before the release of this album, I was left a little confused on what to expect. It was pretty obvious that this album would definitely not be what City and Colour fans have grown to love and expect of Dallas Green.

Fair play. Who wants to write the same album three times over? What's the point in releasing something that is the same as the other things you've released over the years.

Don't get me wrong, I am in LOVE with Dallas and his guitar. It's been a while since music has enabled me to feel so many things like I do when I listen to City and Colour. The way he plays acoustically just melts my heart, and his voice fills me with so much sadness...and somehow, warmth.

So, when I heard the album I was a little uneasy, not quite sure on how to feel about it. I knew it was going to be more than Dallas and the guitar, there was going to be a band behind it and it was going to have more of a 'Rock n roll' element to it. I mean this in the traditional sense, not in the post hardcore sense. Alexisonfire is not leaking into City and Colour, they remain separate.

If you don't like musicians who change their direction slightly, you won't like the new stuff from City and Colour. But for me, I love it. I haven't listened to it enough to know it as well as I do the other records, but essentially the heart and voice of Dallas still shines through. Those are things I love about City and Colour, and those elements are still dominant throughout the record.

At the moment, my favourites from this album are 'Little Hell' and 'O Sister.'

Dallas played 'O Sister' when I last went to see him play a month or so ago, and I had seen other performances of it on Youtube, so I knew this was one song I was sure to love!

As of yet, I am yet to experience the 'heartbreaking' effects of previous songs such as Day Old Hate and Happiness by the Kilowatt. But that doesn't take away the beauty of this new record.

If you haven't listened to City and Colour before, erm, what the hell are you playing at?! Your life is empty without it. Just Sayin'

;)

Have a listen: (my favourites may not be yours, so have a search on youtube for yourself. And lemme know what you think!)